Upon the middle-aged man's return to his group, Dennis, Bren, and the rest of his comrades were instantly thrown into a deep state of shock. Their eyes widened as they stared at the massive amount of money their comrade was carrying.
"J-Jack!" Dennis exclaimed, his voice stifled, hinting at an extreme disbelief at what he had just witnessed. "Where did you get that much money in a place like this?"
"Young Master Alrain gave it to me!" answered the middle-aged man named Jack, his face still enveloped in absolute awe. "He said I must distribute it among all of you fairly and equally as payment."
Did that Young Master truly give away 70 Golds just like this, as if it was merely a small sum of change? Dennis thought, still unable to wrap his head around such absurd generosity.
The six adventurers simultaneously turned their heads and looked toward Alrain, who was now engrossed in a conversation with Davin and Arion in the distance. Their gazes were filled with a mixture of reverence, respect, and overwhelming humility.
Realizing that he was being stared at intensely, Alrain halted his conversation. He turned his head and returned the adventurers' gaze.
"I know exactly what you want to say." Alrain said casually, his voice loud enough to cross the distance between them. "Just take it and never refuse something that has been given to you!"
"B-But, are you serious about giving us this much money?" Dennis replied, stepping forward slightly, still feeling unworthy. "Whereas we practically contributed nothing in this forest other than being spectators while you fought against that monster."
"I don't care!" Alrain replied firmly, raising one of his hands to put an end to the debate, refusing to hear any more questions or rejections. "Just accept and take the money! Consider it compensation because you were willing to waste your time to accompany and guide us this far."
Not daring to argue any further against the absolute instruction from the youth with monstrous strength, the adventurers finally had no choice but to accept the money given to them.
And exactly as he was instructed, Jack began distributing the money, giving each of them a sum of 10 Golds.
"Thank you very much for this gift, Young Master!" Dennis said sincerely, representing all of his comrades as he bowed in respect.
"You are welcome." Alrain replied briefly.
In the midst of that moment, Arion, who had been listening all along, suddenly spoke up.
"We have to be witnesses for their report to the guild." he interjected suddenly, looking at the green-haired youth. "You don't mind that, do you, Alrain?"
Hearing the words of one of his family members, Alrain spontaneously turned to Arion, his facial expression softening.
"Of course, I don't mind if it is merely to be a witness." Alrain answered casually and without the slightest hesitation. "But, the three of us must first complete the mission given by our husband."
"Of course!" Davin and Arion answered in unison, nodding in agreement with the priority set by their husband's second spouse.
Alrain then refocused his gaze toward the group of adventurers who were still standing not too far from his position.
"You surely heard what we were just talking about, right?" he asked to confirm.
"Yes, we heard it very clearly!" Bren answered quickly.
"Once we finish exploring this northern forest to find what we are looking for, the three of us will immediately return to the city and catch up with you!" Alrain stated, providing a definite timeframe. "We will probably arrive at the northern gate only at dusk."
The seven adventurers nodded in understanding.
"In that case, we will head back to the capital first." Dennis said, now adjusting the position of the sword at his waist, preparing to leave the forest. "We must also report all the incidents that happened here to the guild as soon as possible."
"Yes, I understand!" Alrain replied casually with a faint smile. "See you later at the guild!"
After exchanging farewells, the seven adventurers turned their bodies and left the three youths. They began to walk through the bushes, making their way out of the depths of the forest to return to the capital with a mixed feeling of relief and awe.
Alrain, Davin, and Arion stood in silence for a moment, watching the backs of the adventurers as they slowly distanced themselves until they finally disappeared behind the trees.
"Let us continue our search in this northern forest area again!" Davin suggested, breaking the silence, his eyes sweeping across the surrounding forest.
"Yes, let's go!" Alrain and Arion answered in unison with burning enthusiasm.
The three youths immediately turned their bodies and pushed further toward the north. They resumed their exploration of the northern part of the capital's forest to find any possible presence of other caves or any other suspicious locations.
Their footsteps moved at a steady rhythm. They explored every area of the forest meticulously. Their eyes scanned everything they saw, leaving not a single detail overlooked by their observation.
However, as time passed until the sunlight began to dim and late afternoon approached, they did not find a single cave or suspicious place within the forest.
A while later, their footsteps finally came to a halt when the trees began to thin out, and in the distance, the silhouette of a towering, human-made stone structure became visible.
"Let us just head back now!" Alrain said, realizing the limit of their exploration. "Besides, we have unknowingly combed through this entire northern forest area and reached the border of the city wall. It seems there are no more caves or suspicious places in this forest."
"Yes, you're right!" Davin replied, letting out a soft sigh as he gazed at the sturdy city wall in front of him. "We also must not forget the fact that we have promised to be witnesses for the seven adventurers at the guild hall this dusk."
Hearing the confirmation that today's exploration had ended, Arion immediately let out a long sigh full of relief while clutching his stomach.
"Thank goodness... I'm already exhausted and hungry too. We have been continuously walking and exploring this forest since earlier until late afternoon without resting."
Seeing the pitiful facial expression of the reddish-yellow-haired youth, Alrain and Davin instantly chuckled. Their crisp laughter broke the silence of the forest. However, neither of the two denied Arion's words.
"In that case, after we finish the matter regarding the testimony, let us take a bath and have dinner together!" Davin suggested with a warm smile.
"Yes!" Alrain and Arion answered in unison, imagining the comfort of their mansion.
The three youths turned around and began walking side by side, leaving the boundary of the forest to return to the capital's gate.
On that late afternoon bordering on dusk, the sky began to radiate a beautiful reddish-orange hue. They continued walking casually along the path while chatting lightly about various things. Their laughter and warm conversations could occasionally be heard echoing off each other, driving away their fatigue and leaving behind a pure warmth within the quiet forest.